PLAINVIEW — Wayland Baptist University students Alice Conely and Dylan Dodd earned first-place awards at the annual Texas Academy of Science (TAS) meeting, continuing a tradition of excellence in undergraduate research.
Conely won first place for her oral presentation in STEM Education, while Dodd secured first place in the Cell and Molecular Biology section. The two were among four Wayland students who presented research across five sections at the meeting held Feb. 27 through March 1 at McLennan Community College and Baylor University in Waco. Eleven Wayland students and five faculty members attended the meeting.
“This is a tremendous achievement, especially considering the level of competition,” said Dr. Matthew Allen, Professor of Biological Sciences in the Kenneth L. Mattox School of Mathematics and Science. “Other universities represented in these sections include major research institutions such as Texas Tech, the University of Texas at Austin, and Baylor. The fact that our students continue to receive top honors speaks volumes about their dedication and the mentorship they receive from our faculty.”
The Texas Academy of Science annual meeting showcases undergraduate and graduate STEM research, with presentations judged by faculty and industry experts. The best talks and posters in each section receive awards. Wayland students have consistently excelled at the annual TAS meeting.
Conely is the second Wayland student researcher supported by the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program to present at TAS. This NSF award supports students going into STEM education based on the philosophy that the best math and science educators will be the ones who have experience as mathematicians and scientists.
Aquaponics in education: Utilizing a sustainable platform for STEM exploration was the title of Conely’s award-winning presentation based on her research under the direction of Dr. Allen. She spent the summer of 2024 conducting her research and designing a second aquaponics system that is installed in Wayland’s new greenhouse. In addition to her award-winning presentation in STEM Education, Conely presented a poster in the Plant Biology section titled Adding worms to an aquaponic system: Impacts on plant growth.
Dodd, under the advisement of Dr. Matthew Dyson, Associate Professor of Biology and Chemistry, presented his research “A positive control let us make the RecA+ strain” in the Cell and Molecular Biology section. His work was supported by the Welch Departmental Research Grant.
“These awards reflect the quality of research being conducted at Wayland and the passion our students bring to scientific discovery,” Dr. Allen said. “We are incredibly proud of all our students who presented, and we look forward to seeing their continued success.”
Other Wayland students who presented research included Haley Fossett, who gave an oral presentation entitled NO RADIOACTIVITY REQUIRED! A new approach to RecA-mediated DNA strand exchange in the Chemistry and Biochemistry section. Dr. Allen noted, “The immediate reaction of the section moderator to Haley Fossett’s work was ‘where are you going to publish this?’—emphasizing the importance and impact of the work that she did.”
Jaitlynn Sherman, also mentored by Dr. Dyson, presented her poster Ivermectin induces apoptosis on HEC-1A endometrial carcinoma cells in the Biomedical Sciences section.
Fossett and Sherman were also supported by the Welch Departmental Research Grant. Dodd and Fossett will continue their work with the Welch Foundation’s support in the upcoming summer. Noah Dyson, Anna Perez, and Emma Scott also attended the TAS meeting as the new cohort of Welch scholars. They will be starting their work this summer.
Edmundo Avalos is a new Noyce Grant recipient that also attended TAS and will be doing research in aquatic plant diversity and water chemistry this upcoming summer.
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